Its not often that you see this kind of activity, but the Fourth of July is for all ages, so there will be a big ol’ pile of sawdust to play in at the full-day blowout Saturday that heads off the holiday weekend at northernly UW Wanderoos in the heart of Amery.
So this is the dirt, so to speak, on playing in the dust, and if you are an adult, maybe even Old School and loved to see things like mud wrestling, this type of fodder underfoot will likely be the closest thing you’ll come upon these days. Catch it right after the kiddie parade. And its not just Dust in the Wind, as this is not Kansas, and you will not have to wait until dusk to play. But there is music, two different forms (see below).
(The only thing that we think can rival this as far as novelty is yard Olympics, part of ongoing events, through a charitable group called Cared4 4ever and spearheaded by a golf-course-extended not far south of Wanderoos. But with that said, as Saturday passes by and the rest of The Fourth prevails, check out the other special-events-based offerings that Wanderoos throws out there regularly, all throughout the year, and That Other Lions Club Thing in Hammond that takes the form of Heartland Days later in summer).
Also at the Wanderoos 55th annual Independence Day observance is a kickball game, again Old School, and its family friendly so don’t emulate that Dodgeball movie, but there is a beanbag tourney. To get fueled up for those things, there is a chicken dinner with entre option alternatives and all the fixins. The kickball kicks in at 12:30, and well beforehand is a 5K walk/run. So there is a lot going on early, so get there early.
Allyson Dyg is the one playing afternoon music, and with that kind of creative spelling one must think the music is anything but also-ran. Just like the sand/mud alternative. Then for four hours until midnight its County Line, fitting because of the location of Amery in Polk County, slightly north of the main urban center of this region and that’s a good thing, and you can bet there will be a whole lotta country kickin’ at this Old School street dance. And to also go traditional, you can come back for fireworks here on The Fourth itself. That as you might expect with a three-day holiday is the mainstay, main day for most such shows across western Wisconsin, and there are several in various locales, mostly running up and down the St. Croix River, extended a bit east.
Kinda kitty-korner south across the county line in Hammond, dead center in St. Croix County, is the annual tractor and truck pull on Saturday starting at 5 p.m. The tractor classes sound impressive, with 18 different four and five digit numbers as style IDs, and they throw around terms like not only Farm, but Turbo, Improved and Pro. So this isn’t just your daddy’s old basic green or red John Deere.
Truck classes are stock gas truck, improved gas truck, outlaw diesel truck (mine favorite name with or without Vin) and open diesel truck. Admission is only $10, and that’s a few cents per class you can view, and under ten are let in free, so educate the youngsters on the beauty of the roar and the visual spectacle, as again, this is a family holiday, and our forefathers built this country on horsepower, even if a different type.
But to get another new Booster musically, in this Day on Sunday all afternoon especially, check out Picks of the Week. But don’t wait, as you may be getting a call about parade lineup slots on Saturday morning, when it is announced. But call us child, we don’t necessarily plan on calling you.